Saturday, October 15, 2011

1. Location, location, location. The kind of waters you will be fishing in - lake, river, or pond - must be taken into consideration to assist in determining the best and proper gear to use. For example, if the waters have a strong current, you'll have problems keeping your bait strategically placed.

2. When making plans for your trip, give some thought to the weather, the time of year, wind conditions, and water temperatures which all have their influence on the success you ca expect. One primetime is after a rain when the catfish come out to search for food.

3. Know the characteristics and habits of your prey, which vary somewhat between the three most popular species, Channels, Fatheads and Blues.

4. Don't spend a fortune on your fishing gear; just make sure it's strong enough to handle the job.

While light-weight gear is fine for the smaller Channels, you'll want something heavier for the larger cats.

5. Your choices for bait will vary somewhat, again based on the types are favored by each species. Live baits such as shrimp or prawns, worms, small fish, insects, and other creatures that are habitants of the waters you're fishing all work well.

6. You can be creative and create your own home-made bait. Because catfish aren't super picky and will eat most anything, there a lot of items to choose from. Peanut butter, stinky cheese, Ivory soap, chicken livers and marshmallows are just a few. Smelly bait works best.

7. The Palomar is thought to be the most popular and effective knot for attaching a line to a hook. It is strong, and is easy to tie. It works best with light-weight finishing lines.

8. When removing the hook from the catfish, be especially careful not to stab yourself on the fins. They can inflict severe pain and will cause swelling. While they are not thought to be poisonous, they are very sharp and contain concentrations of toxins. The amount of toxins depends on the waters you're fishing in so it would be advisable to check with the state's wildlife resource agency. These toxins can also cause allergic reactions in some people.

9. If you been fishing in a spot for a while and haven't caught anything, it's time to move to a different location. Catfish move around, you should too.

10. Quite probably, one of the best tips for catfishing is to remember that patience is a virtue, as well as a necessity, regardless of what species of fish you're trying to catch.

Mick Landry is a catfishing expert with over 30 years of experience. For more great tips on catfishing or for a complete analysis catfishing baits visit http://Catfishingcountry.com

I can remember back in the early to mid 70's when my good buddy Paul said to me "Look what I got." I said, "What the heck is that thing?" "It is an Ugly Stik by Shakespeare" he said. We probably were 14 or 15 years old at that time around 1974 or 1975. We would load up the old Jon boat in the back of my 64' Ford pick-up and head on down to our favorite canal. Please understand that we lived in the Florida Glades down here in boon-dock country near Clewiston, Fl. and a driver's license was not essential back in those days.

Enough said on that. So then we would slide our little 12' Jon in the water, strap on the Hiawatha 5 H.P. motor and after some difficulty starting the thing we would go to where the fish were. Thanks to our fathers we were well "lernt" on this thing called fishing and of course Paul whips out the "Ugly". I remember even back then it had an odd looking final tip on the end of the rod and Paul says "watch this" as he doubles the rod end over and says "it won't break." Amazing! My old South Bend fiberglass rods could not do that!

Long story short, we caught fish and when he let me try this new ugly thing out the first thing I noticed was the sensitivity. Even the slightest nibble or strike was felt immediately. Many times since then these Ugly Stik Rods have never ceased to impress me. More on that in a minute. That was the old days now this is the new days. I'm older now and fish the central lake region of my fair state of Florida where the weeds are heavy and the Bass don't go to school because they don't like recess! If you hook up on a hawg, go ahead and try and bust him out of the hydrilla or pepper grass, cattails, torpedo grass, spatterdock, stumps or a million other things he's headed for and good luck if your tackle can handle it!

A standard Ugly is okay, but when push comes to shove you need a professional piece of gear. Enter the world of true power with an Ugly Stik Custom. The performance and quality of a standard rod with enhanced characteristics only found in a custom Ugly Stik. You will be amazed at the difference between store bought and customized. I have caught fish that could not be caught with these. My friends were impressed and after they regained their composure, I explained what and why I was able to do the impossible. Bass is one thing, but truly impossible are Snook in the Red Mangroves down here on the Indian River. These bruisers are scarey. Every time I hook up, I feel the adrenaline pumping as I try to wrestle this thing away from the Mangrove roots. It is not easy. Anyway, pour the power on with confidence, talk to the good folks at Ugly Stik Custom, they"ll hook you up!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Catching more big carp is much easier when you know some very stimulating details about bait components, how fish sense your baits, how to manipulate fish physiology to make fish want to eat our baits more and more! Many of the questions anglers ask about baits and fishing are pretty irrelevant compared to some of the most important which are so often over-looked because the angler is so conditioned to thinking like a commercially-manipulated angler instead of thinking like a fish which is far superior of course! When your thinking about baits choices and how to manipulate fish senses and behaviours in our favour against them begins with the fish themselves you have incredible potential power compared to anglers who merely follow the herd!

So in the beginning when considering bait at all, why start of with bait itself at all when it is far more productive by starting off with taking a much better look at the fish?! Relatively very few anglers understand carp in detail so it is no surprise they have little idea how their baits might possibly work to attract fish to take baited hooks inside their mouths " but if you understood this imagine the power this provides you with over anglers with little or no knowledge or insight regarding this incredibly vital aspect of fishing.

The majority of carp anglers in the UK and some other countries where carp fishing has become so commercialised, are dependant on expensive readymade carp boilies, pellets etc. You could say that the bait companies just want that trend to continue so they can extract as much money out of you as possible " after all, making customers dependant on products is one of the prime goals of those wanting to make big money but that gives them a huge amount of power over you which perhaps not too many of us can afford these days! When the price of readymade baits is the deciding factor in being able to afford to catch a few fish or even go fishing, you have to begin to wonder about making your own bait at vastly less cost with the chance to catch even more fish using your own baits with all the enormous satisfaction that brings!

Why allow someone else to decide your fishing budget when you can do it yourself and save an absolute fortune?! Whether your readymade baits cost you 5 pounds or 12 pounds a kilogram you can undercut and vastly reduce this cost and still out-fish all those popular readymade baits " when you know how! Once again you need to know some of the most vitally important details of fish senses, and how to best exploit them to get most bites by leveraging various (endlessly varied) combinations of ingredients, special compounds, liquid foods, flavour components, oils etc.

Avoiding bait making mistakes can be avoided by learning from others who have the long experience over the years to refine their knowledge and bait making methods, thinking and insights etc. My 34 years of homemade carp bait making has gone through many changing levels of experience, feedback and changing awareness but well over 80 percent of all my homemade baits have caught from at least the first cast and mistakes are really only priceless feedback towards even better baits! Certain carp waters demand specific bait alterations because no water or fish stock or ecosystem is necessarily identical, and it is very important to know how to out-fish competing baits by leverage of unique bait substances to achieve extra edges over them in many ways.

Bait-making beginners usually make the most common mistake of falling into the trap of thinking like an angler and relying on personal judgements and opinions about bait substances and flavours to formulate baits instead of starting off with the fish themselves (which is obviously where the true power is!) Avoid limiting your bait success by getting to know your fish very well indeed inside and out! By focussing on the fish in the first instance and not on bait substances you will be thinking like a carp and be able to get the edge over the majority who merely think like anglers!

Certain bait substances do necessarily not work on their own in water and need a bait carrier substance with which they can work synergistically to bring forth their most potent impacts on fish senses. However, many bait substances can be said to be very habit-forming and I include the essential amino acids and particular non-essential amino acids found in protein ingredients additives and liquids in this group too. I am amazed at how many anglers feel they lack confidence in a bait if it has no strong discernible flavours or smell. Think about it; carp can sense substances down to a few parts in a billion and it will be very hard for the average carp angler to incorporate any substance in their bait that has no smell, taste or aroma or effect some sort of subtle electrical impact or difference on carp senses when in water for that matter that they will detect the presence of!

Carp are constantly evolving individuals able to sense new substances to various degrees even if foreign to their aquatic environment and so are able to monopolise new potential food sources " something we can exploit to maximum effect to catch more fish! Carp an be conditioned to respond to our baits in similar ways to dogs being trained to behave in ways their owner wants by rewarding them with snacks and designing unique new baits to provide both instant and long-term rewards certainly can condition their behaviours in our unique favour when regularly applied as well as affecting their future taste and smell preferences etc! You can choose specific ingredients, additives and liquids etc to manipulate carp modes of feeding or condition senses or certain modes of behaviours or exploit or adapt preferences leading to many more bites on your baits compared to other baits, so it really pays to choose wisely and find out more! (For far more information see my website Baitbigfish and my unique ebooks now!)

For these and much more unique revealing information now visit: http://www.baitbigfish.com the home of the world-wide proven homemade bait making and readymade bait success secrets bibles and more free completely original articles on carp and catfish fishing and bait success - make this year your best ever!

(The innovative bait and fishing author and bait consultant Tim Richardson has been writing articles for 5 years and has helped anglers in over 50 countries catch new personal best fish.)

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Fishing enthusiasts have been, or will be thrilled with the Shakespeare Ugly Stik. This "ready out of the box" fishing gear is extremely strong and durable, yet inexpensive. Casual fishing sportsman will truly enjoy the strong and easy to use gear. It is made from fiberglass which surrounds a graphite core. It has been around for over 25 years and continues to be popular today because of the many benefits. There certainly are more pros than cons when it comes to this product. It is geared toward the casual fisherman, but on occasion, even the pros have enjoyed using the Shakespeare Ugly Stik. One of the only drawbacks to the product is that it is somewhat heavier than other fishing gear of the same type.

In a Field and Stream review, only the Ugly Stik was able to withstand the 55 pound weights added to test strength. Although it is indeed strong, it is also flexible, which is one of the benefits which is most often commented on. One reviewer commented that he had pulled up an entire tree stump out of the water with his Shakespeare Ugly Stik. Many proclaim they would use no other gear. Overall, it seems to do what it was intended to do; catch fish. Professional fisherman may prefer a bit more sensitivity, but as far as results, this rod provides, for big and small fish. Most reviews for this product rate 5 stars consistently.

Prices vary from $15 to over $75, but generally are much less expensive than the competition. The best part is, even though it is inexpensive, it is ready to use right out of the box. One can literally open the box, take out the rod, and go fishing. That is something that cannot be said for most other products of this kind. If the Shakespeare Ugly Stik is given as a gift, the recipient can be ready to fish immediately upon opening the package; now, that's convenience! There is a model suitable for all fishing skill levels and ages. Many people who have used the rods for years are now buying for their own children. This is a mark of excellence in and of itself.

The Shakespeare Ugly Stik is available in Sporting Good stores and online. They are convenient to find, buy, and use. They last for many years and apparently do a great job of catching fish. What more could a fishing enthusiast need? They are easy enough for even novice fishing fans. There simply isn't more the common fisherman would want from fishing gear that they can't find in the Ugly Stik. There are several models with different features to suit those who are more discriminating. It is perfect for freshwater and saltwater game and can even handle the big one that no one wants to get away. Those who venture a try with this product are seldom disappointed. The good news is that even if it didn't turn out to be the perfect gear, there wasn't a lot of money spent to find out. It certainly seems that the vast majority of people who buy the rod swear by its quality and durability.